Accelerator

ABSTRACT

An accelerator has a two cup shuttle which reciprocates as it rotates, and whose reciprocation relative to its rotation is controlled by a cam following surface on the shuttle which follows a stationary cam.

filtrate -11: States atet 11 1 1111 3,869,960 Mark Mar. 11, 1975 ACCELERATOR [56] References Cited [75] inventor: iBurton Parker Clark, St. George, UNITED STATES PATENTS Wt 1,696,360 12/1928 Peyser 198/22 1 q l,846,009 2/1932 White et al. 198/22 [731 Asslgnee- Company 3,306,421 2/1967 Buttery 198/25 [22] Filed: \\\Feb. 8, 1973 Primary Examiner-Stephen C. Bentley 1 pp No 330 601 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bailin L. Kuch [57] ABSTRACT [52] 89/33 198/22 198/25 An accelerator has a two cup shuttle which reciproi l4 cates as it rotates, and whose reciprocation relative to 1 F its rotation is controlled a cam following Surface on [58] held M Search" 198/22 the shuttle which follows a stationary cam.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures ACCELERATOR BACKGROUND OF THE iNVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to article handling systems, and especially to an accelerator for a train of articles as exemplified by a train of rounds or cannisters of ammunition being fed from an ammunition storage system to a gun system.

2. Background of the Invention This invention is a variation of the accelerator disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. I88,83l, filed Oct. 13,197] by O. H. Meier, et al, now US. Pat. No. 3,720,301, issued Mar. 13, I973.Thataccelerator has a two cup shuttle which is controlled by an external cam encircling the shuttle. The shuttle reciprocates as it rotates to increase the pitch distance between successive rounds in the train.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION While the external cam of the referenced patent application permits the provision of any desired acceleration and deceleration, in many uses symmetrical and continuous acceleration and deceleration are all that are required. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide such a symmetrical and continuous function by means of an accelerator which does not require an external, shuttle encircling cam.

A feature of this invention is the provision of an accelerator having a two cup shuttle which reciprocates as it rotates, and whose reciprocation relative to its rotation is controlled by a cam following surface on the shuttle which follows a stationary cam.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view in elevation in cross-section taken along the plane Il of FIG. .2 of an accelerator embodying this invention incorporated in a cannister firing weapon system; and

FIG. 2 is a side view in elevation in cross-section taken along the plan 11-11 of FIG. I.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT The weapon system shown in FIG. 1 fires individual rockets respectively packaged in cannisters. The firing tube 10, is here shown integral with a receiver 12 having a cannister receiving semi-chamber l4, and rotates about an axis 16 on journals l8 and 20 in a housing 22. The cannisters 24 are transported to the weapon by an endless chain of carriers 26 of the type shown by Kirkpatrick in US. Pat. No. 3,429,221 issued Feb. 25, I969. The chain passes around a five cup sprocket 28 which synchronizes the presentation of the cannisters to the accelerator which until then are retained in the respective carriers by a pair of guides 30.

The function of the accelerator is to change the velocity of the cannister from that of the chain of carriers 26 to that of the rotating semichamber 14. To do this the accelerator must initially match the hand-off velocity of the five cup sprocket. To achieve this result a variable velocity sprocket is provided herein by a two cup shuttle 32, which shuttle reciprocates in a slot 34 formed in a hub .36, and which hub rotates about an intermediate axis 38. The shuttle has a transverse cam following slot 40 which receives and is cammcd by a stationary cam rod 42.

In the mating position of the shuttle shown in FIG. I, the distance R, from the center of the upper cup 44 of the shuttle to the axis 38 of the hub 36 is made equal to the radius of a theoretical symmetrical two cup sprocket whose pitch is equal to the pitch of the sprocket 28. The pitch of the sprocket 28 is equal to the pitch of the chain of carriers and is taken as the arc length from the center of one cup to the center of the next adjacent cup. The distance R from the center of the lower cup 46 of the shuttle to the axis 38 is made equal to the radius of a theoretical two cup sprocket whose pitch is equal to the pitch of the rotating semichamber 14. As the hub rotates, the stationary cam rod 42 causes the shuttle to reciprocate in the slot 34 of the hub.

The sprocket 28 rotates counter-clockwise to handoff a cannister into the cup 44. The shuttle is at 0 orientation, with the center of the cup 44 at its minimum distance (which is R from the axis of rotation 38, and thus is swinging at its minimum linear velocity, which is equal to the linear velocity of the sprocket 28 As the shuttle swings from 0 to 180 orientation, the cannister is retained in and guided by a guide surface 50 commencing on a finger 52 and continuing on the interior wall of the accelerator housing 54.

When the shuttle is at 180 orientation, with the center of the cup 44 at its maximum distance (which is R from the axis of rotation 38, and thus is swinging at its maximum linear velocity, which is equal to the linear velocity of the semi-chamber 14. The cannister is handed off by the shuttle into the semi-chamber l4, and the cannister is retained in and guided by a guide surface 54 commencing on a finger 56 and continuing on the interior wall ofthe housing 22. As the chamber rotates, the rocket is fired from the cannister out the tube 10, and the emptied cannister is then discharged at 58 from the housing.

As seen in FIG. 2, the receiver 12 has an aft shaft extension 60 which is journalled to the housing 22 by the bearing 20, and which shaft has a gear 62 fixed thereto. The gear 62 is meshed with an aft hear 64 integral with the hub 36, which also has an integral forward gear 66, which gear is meshed with a gear 68 fixed to a shaft 70 to which the sprocket 28 is also fixed. The hub 36 is internally journalled on fore and aft bearings 72 and 74, which are respectively mounted on stationary, fore and aft stub shafts 76 and 78. The stationary shafts are mounted to the housing 54 and each has a respective stationary cam rod 42 and 82 fixed thereto. The cam rods are respectively disposed in cam following channels or slots 40, which may be formed of bearing material 84. The hub 36 is also externally journalled on fore and aft bearings 86 and 88 which are respectively mounted in the housing 54.

While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be appreciated that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, and that certain changes in the form and arrangement of parts and in the specific manner of practicing the invention may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope of the appended claims. For example, in lieu of the semi-chamber 14, a conventional feeder sprocket,

such as is shown in US. Pat. No. 3,698,283 issued: to E. Ashley et al, on Oct, 17, 1972, may be utilized to re- 'ceive the rounds andto-hand them intothe gun.

What is claimed is: v 1. An accelerator for a train of articles comprising:

a first article conveyorfor conveying articles at a first velocity;

a second article conveyor for carrying articles at a second velocityr an intermediate shuttle having two article receiving cups mutually spaced 180 apart, each for receiving, in alternation, an articie from'said first con-i veyor at said first velocity and for delivering such article to'said second conveyor at said second ve.

locity;

said shuttle being journalled for rectilinear move ment in a guide which is journalled for rotation about a fixed intermediate axis; and.

control means coupled to said shuttle and to said guide for causing said guide'torotate about said'intermediate axis and said shuttle to'move rectilinearly in said guide;

said guide being a hub having a transverse slot;.

. said-shuttle being disposed in and reciprocating'along saidsiot; and

said control means includes:

a rectilincar cross slot in said shuttle, and .a stationary cam rod extending into said cross slot.

2. An accelerator according to claim 1 wherein:

said hub is journailed to and'between a pair of spaced.

apart stationary axles; and I I I said stationary cam rod is fixed to'and eccentric with one: of said axles.

3.. A weapon system'for firing a train'ofrounds of=ammunition comprising I a convcyorsystem for conveying rounds at a first velocity; a second system for receiving rounds at a second ve locity; an intermediate shuttle having two rounds receiving cups mutually spaced apart each for receiving, in alternation, around from said conveyor system at said first velocity and for delivering said round to; said second system at said second velocy; said shuttle being journ'allcd for rectilinear movement in a guid'e'which isjournalled forrotation about a fixed intermediate'axis; and

control means coupled to saidshuttle and 'tosaid guide for causing said guide to rotate about said intermediate axis and-saidshuttie to move rectilin- I a t ra'nsverse'slot; and 

1. An accelerator for a train of articles comprising: a first article conveyor for conveying articles at a first velocity; a second article conveyor for carrying articles at a second velocity; an intermediate shuttle having two article receiving cups mutually spaced 180* apart, each for receiving, in alternation, an article from said fiRst conveyor at said first velocity and for delivering such article to said second conveyor at said second velocity; said shuttle being journalled for rectilinear movement in a guide which is journalled for rotation about a fixed intermediate axis; and control means coupled to said shuttle and to said guide for causing said guide to rotate about said intermediate axis and said shuttle to move rectilinearly in said guide; said guide being a hub having a transverse slot; said shuttle being disposed in and reciprocating along said slot; and said control means includes: a rectilinear cross slot in said shuttle, and a stationary cam rod extending into said cross slot.
 1. An accelerator for a train of articles comprising: a first article conveyor for conveying articles at a first velocity; a second article conveyor for carrying articles at a second velocity; an intermediate shuttle having two article receiving cups mutually spaced 180* apart, each for receiving, in alternation, an article from said fiRst conveyor at said first velocity and for delivering such article to said second conveyor at said second velocity; said shuttle being journalled for rectilinear movement in a guide which is journalled for rotation about a fixed intermediate axis; and control means coupled to said shuttle and to said guide for causing said guide to rotate about said intermediate axis and said shuttle to move rectilinearly in said guide; said guide being a hub having a transverse slot; said shuttle being disposed in and reciprocating along said slot; and said control means includes: a rectilinear cross slot in said shuttle, and a stationary cam rod extending into said cross slot.
 2. An accelerator according to claim 1 wherein: said hub is journalled to and between a pair of spaced apart stationary axles; and said stationary cam rod is fixed to and eccentric with one of said axles.
 3. A weapon system for firing a train of rounds of ammunition comprising a conveyor system for conveying rounds at a first velocity; a second system for receiving rounds at a second velocity; an intermediate shuttle having two rounds receiving cups mutually spaced 180* apart, each for receiving, in alternation, a round from said conveyor system at said first velocity and for delivering said round to said second system at said second velocity; said shuttle being journalled for rectilinear movement in a guide which is journalled for rotation about a fixed intermediate axis; and control means coupled to said shuttle and to said guide for causing said guide to rotate about said intermediate axis and said shuttle to move rectilinearly in said guide; said guide being a hub having a transverse slot; and said shuttle being disposed in and reciprocating in said slot; and said control means includes: a rectilinear cross slot in said shuttle; and a stationary cam rod extending into said slot. 